“Refinancing” is a scary word for many people, but that shouldn’t be the case for you. For many homeowners, refinancing can not only lower your monthly payments and help with your monthly budget, but it can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

You’ve most likely heard the rule: Save for a 20-percent down payment before you buy a home. The logic behind saving 20 percent is solid, as it shows that you have the financial discipline and stability to save for a long-term goal. It also helps you get favorable rates from lenders.

But there can actually be financial benefits to putting down a small down payment—as low as three percent—rather than parting with so much cash up front, even if you have the money available.

Tucked in the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the San Lorenzo Valley community is a hidden treasure. The area is named for the San Lorenzo River whose headwaters begin above Boulder Creek and which runs through the valley on its way to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and into the Monterey Bay.

Much of the river valley is rural and wooded, but there are also beautiful neighborhoods, excellent schools and charming local shopping areas.

Organic food usually tastes better, and is better for you, but it can also be very expensive compared to non-organic products. Organic food can cost nearly 50 percent more, thanks to the extra labor required to produce it and consumers’ demand exceeding supply.

So how do you get tasty organic food without spending a ton of extra money? Follow these tips to get more bang for your buck.

Congress has introduced a new tax reform bill in the House of Representatives that will disproportionately harm Californians. Among the many provisions in this tax reform bill is the elimination of state and local income tax deductions. That means, tax payers will no longer be able to deduct the state and local taxes they pay on their income. Take a look at how that could impact you.

As a parent of children in the local schools in the San Lorenzo Valley (Felton, Ben Lomond, Brookdale and Boulder Creek) I was nervous when I first saw the school rankings of the local schools. We had decided to move back here in 2011. At the time SLV Elementary was struggling with a 6 on the ranking system. Middle of the road at best. What I quickly found out was that the score really didn't reflect that attitude of the school, the teacher's passion for their work and the level of parent involvement in the classrooms.

Autumn was in full swing in October, but activity in the Santa Cruz County housing market stayed at summer-like levels.

The median price of $867,000 for existing single family homes in October was two percent higher than in September and a staggering nine percent higher than October last year when the median was $794,950.

The third quarter of the year is behind us which of course means pumpkin spice everything and all of the stores are playing Christmas music now. The change in season also brings a shift in real estate market conditions. Inventory tends to decline and buyers may become more aggressive in their home search. This change can affect real estate sales in a number of ways.

"Lance Hulsey and his partner Liz Kroft worked tirelessly for nine months helping me purchase a lot to build a house on. Buildable lots are not easy to come by in Santa Cruz County, but with their determination (and answering my countless questions), we had success! I'm hoping to sell a house in the near future, and I'll definitely enlist the help of these two experts. I will not hesitate to encourage anyone I know looking to buy or sell real estate in the area to contact Lance and Liz."